When The Work is Done
by IsabelleMalfoyPotterSnape
Summary: Harry is finally with his family and the man he has secretly had feelings for but fate has other plans in store for Harry. And once more Harry must save the world and learn that saying goodbye only truly means until we meet again.


Harry Potter beamed with pride as he watched his youngest child, his only daughter receive her degree from Minerva McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Feeling quite pleased and secretly relieved Harry sat back as he drifted into the past.

The first memory that came forth into his mind was the memory of the last time he had seen his parents, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, his godfather altogether after he had come from Albus's pensieve, finally understanding everything that had happened from the time that he was one until that very second. He could see them as clear as day in his mind, still picture them perfectly as they encouraged him to rid the world of Voldemort's evil once and for all, telling him that they were always with him, always inside of him; that all he ever had to do was close his eyes and they would be there waiting with a kind word and a gentle smile.

It was with this new found strength that Harry had been able to go to Voldemort and let himself die in order to save the wizarding world from itself. And then he had encountered his mentor and ex-headmaster for the last time at what appeared to be Kings Cross, and as he listened to Dumbledore talk, Harry learned the true meaning of forgiveness. He sat and listened as Dumbledore explained his childhood, and the choices he had made in anger, in greed, and in his foolishness.

And then when everything had been said and done, Harry had had a choice, to live and save the world or die and finally be with the family that he had never truly known. Harry had known what he had to do and with a grace that had been born from new found understanding; he went back to the mortal realm to defeat the darkest wizard that had ever lived.

Harry had killed Voldemort after Neville slew Nagini, and the world had been saved. He had then put the Elder wand back in Dumbledore's tomb where he hoped it would remain for the rest of history. The stone had been lost somewhere in the forest and his cloak, Harry would later pass on to his second born child.

There had been much to do after the defeat of Voldemort. People, hundreds of them, muggle and wizards, and magical creatures had been given proper burials. The ministry had been taken off its hinges and everyone fired. They had slowly rebuilt the Ministry starting with the election of Shacklebolt Kingsley as the new Minister of Magic, with Arthur Weasley as his second in command.

Then after the rebuilding of the governmental structure, there had been the trails of the death eaters, and those who had supported Voldemort, the Taboo finally being lifted off of the name. Draco Malfoy had been exonerated, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange had both been kissed by dementors, and the older Crabbe and Goyle had both been sentenced to Azkaban. Most of the people that had happily been cruel during the Dark Lords second reign had been let off due to "it was the law."

To most muggleborns and Harry and Hermione especially it reminded them of the Nuremberg trails after Hitler had been defeated. But like then, the wizarding world needed wizards to help rebuild that which had been destroyed. So most people had simply gotten a slap on the wrist but there had been some justice done in other ways. Alecto and Amycus Carrow had both been sentenced to Azkaban for life, as had Dolores Umbridge after Harry had sued her and won for injury due to dark magic.

Even at the end when she had been removed from the court room after her sentencing, she had said to Harry, with a sickly sweet smile on her face that bad boys deserved to be punished. It took three years of constant work before the wizarding world was back to its former glory, resembling the days after Voldemort's first defeat. And after everything, Harry had walked the path that through some twist of random fate had been laid out for him half way through his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Harry still didn't understand how he had in any way fallen for Ginevra Weasley. From the moment he had met her, she had felt more like a sister than a love interest. In fourth year he had discovered he had a crush on Cho Chang, a girl in his year and a Ravenclaw. But he had also discovered that he had a crush on Draco Malfoy. He had been quiet vocal about one and silent about the other for obvious reasons. He didn't know how the wizarding world viewed homosexuality, and wasn't about to bring up a subject that could alienate him anymore than he had already been because of his status in the tri-wizard tournament.

In his fifth year his crush with Cho had lead to a kiss that was "wet" and a date that had led to the end of anything they might have had. Cho had still been mourning Cedric Diggory, the boy that Voldemort had killed at the end of the tournament in the graveyard that Voldemort's muggle father was buried. In his sixth year he had become obsessed with Draco, wanting to secretly find a way to help his crush and that had ended in the near death of Katie Bell, and one of his best friends Ron Weasley and the death of his ex-headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

But that still didn't account for his love for Ginny, half way through the year when he had given up on Draco, like he had with Cho, Ginny had become the logical choice. They had kissed after a quidditch match, and while it had been better than Cho's it still had been wet. They had some good times after that kiss, and Harry decided that he would take this normalcy and make it permanent; that he did not want to be different in any other way. And when he had broken up with Ginny at the end of his sixth year it had been the hardest thing ever.

But he had not wanted to put Ginny in any danger, his normalcy had to be protected at all cost. And then the war had ended and after three years he was able to come back to the one thing he had always wanted, and he had married it and with it Ginny Weasley. Seven years after the war had ended they had their first child, James Sirius Fred Potter, a cute happy child that was a combination of the Weasley twins, the senior James Potter, and Sirius Black all rolled into one person.

A year later his second, another boy was born and on the day of the child's birth Harry knew that he could die a happy man. They named him Albus Severus, and Harry had cried tears of joy and of pain that day as he held the miracle that was his second born child in his arms for the first time. Harry could see the green eyes that only this child would bear and knew that no other person would ever compare to this child, the miracle that Lily Potter had been, the gift that she had passed on to her son, and that he now too had passed on to his.

Harry of course had doted on both James and Albus, but everyone could see that what Harry felt for Albus went even beyond what he felt for Ginny. And two years later their last was born; Lily Ginevra Potter. Harry had not wanted anymore children and had told Ginny, who after much fighting and tears had agreed that they would have no more children. It wasn't that Harry hadn't wanted more children; he just didn't want more with Ginny. In their years of marriage they had become comfortable, having sex on certain nights of the week, greeting each other the same way when they came home, and as the years wore on the normalcy that Harry had craved and married slowly became a painful poison eating away at his heart and soul.

When Lily had gone off to Hogwarts for her first year of school Harry had known that he had to leave. That he couldn't live as he had been from them moment he had married Ginny. The only set back with this knowledge was he had to wait until all of his children had graduated from Hogwarts. Because then they would have their own lives and would not need him as much as they would when they were at school growing up and learning about themselves.

James had of course been a Gryffindor, and had become seeker of the Gryffindor team in his second year. He had also continued the legacy of the marauders with his sidekicks, Dream Harmony Longbottom, one of the children of Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. She was a Ravenclaw just like her mother, Scorpius Malfoy, the first born of six of the Malfoy children and a Slytherin, and Rosie Weasley, second eldest child of Ron and Hermione Weasley, and another Gryffindor.

After graduating James reopened the joke stop that his uncles, when they had been alive had created with the help of his father. He had then following in his father's footsteps he married Rosie, much to the pleasure of all the Weasleys and Potters. They were married nine years after Teddy Lupin married Victoire Weasley the eldest child of Ron and Hermione.

Albus, despite all of his fears before boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first had been placed in Slytherin and had taken to the house like a fish to water. He like his father had taken charge of the D.A. in his fifth year acting as president of the popular club. Albus loved reading and absorbed books the way his aunt Hermione did, but with a more open mind then Hermione ever had. Albus, like his grandmother that he would never know was a peace maker, and had even formed H.U.F. the Hogwarts United Front, a group that worked to help promote and keep the peace between the houses at Hogwarts.

But even with his book smarts, and leadership skills he was still first and foremost a Slytherin. He could was sneaky, was an opportunist, and a gentle master manipulator like his first namesake. He could also be cruel for the greater good like his second namesake and never at Hogwarts had there been a Head Boy more loved and hated.

Albus after graduating had done what Harry had never been able to do and come out to his family telling them that not only had been dating Scorpius since their third year but that they were getting married as soon as he finished auror training in a year. Harry had been so proud and had said in a pride filled voice as the others looked on, "Have you guys picked a date for the wedding?"

Albus's relief that had shown on his face, turned into a huge smile at his fathers' question before he launched himself at Harry. Hugging him tightly Albus had whispered, "Thank you, oh thank you father... I was so afraid, I can't believe, thank you." Albus had stepped back and taken his fiancée in his arms smiling brightly. Scorpius had looked ecstatic, and had taken Harry's hand in a firm grip and said in a low voice, "Thank you sir. You're blessing means the world to Albus. I promise I'll take care of him sir."

Harry had then smiled at Scorpius and said, "No problem, I have all the confidence in the world that you will take care of Albus as he will you... if you need me to be there when you tell your father just let me know okay?" Scorpius had nodded his head in thanks and Harry had looked around to see James, Rosie and Scorpius smirk at each other, Hermione looked amused, Ron shake his head and mutter about kids today, and to see Ginny with a huge frown on her face.

Later that night there had been a heated discussion between Ginny and Harry about their sons' fiancée and their sons' homosexuality. Harry had been furious to hear that Ginny was not okay with their sons' fiancée's gender and choice of life partner. Harry, angry and hurt in ways that he could not express had slept on the couch for the first time in their marriage. Ginny had never been particularly close to Albus spending most of her time shopping with Lily or scolding James about the latest bit of mischief managed. But Harry had always been there for Albus and the two were the closest in the family.

Harry had talked to Ginny the next day saying, "Ginny, I know you don't approve of our son, but I'm asking you to let it go, to let him be happy. This is what he wants and he has my blessing to do so, please do this for our son." Ginny had only nodded her head in response and Harry had breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away from her to go talk to Albus about wedding plans.

The wedding of Albus and Scorpius had been the event of the season. Draco, contrary to popular belief was not Lucius Malfoy, and when he and his wife had been informed about the engagement, Draco had sighed and said, "A Potter huh? Well you couldn't have done better. Congratulation, but my only concern is who will take whose name? You are a pureblood if you want to take Albus' name then we need to talk about your status as heir of the family."

Scorpius had nodded and after Albus made a motion with his hands Scorpius said, "We'll be hyphenating our names, and as for an heir to the Malfoy line, we intend to give birth to as many children as possible. The first boy will be the next Malfoy heir... father."

Draco's eyes had narrowed before they went to Harry's after another minute he nodded and said, "You have my blessing." Albus had smiled brightly, Harry had smiled as well, and Scorpius had nodded his head in gratitude to his father. Draco had paid for everything, telling Harry and Ginny, much to her chagrin, that they knew nothing of wedding plans for such an alliance that was about to take place and to just leave everything to him. Harry had been fine to just do that after he had checked that it was okay with Albus and Scorpius.

But Ginny, feeling insulted insisted that they host the rehearsal dinner, which they did at their home in London. The next day Albus and Scorpius were married in one of the gardens at Hogwarts near the lake. It was a gorgeous affair with all the elite, rich, and the famous of the wizarding world in the audience. Harry had stood as Albus's best man and Harry had felt it then. The clock beginning to tick away, telling him it was almost time to move on.

Harry was brought out of his musing by Ginny, who shook him and Harry turned away from her to give a huge smile and hug to Lily. Lily Ginevra Potter, who was to apprentice under Professor Sinistra, who would retire from the astronomy position when Lily was ready to take over. Lily was a bright girl that had been placed in Ravenclaw, and had instantly taken a liking to astronomy, Hugo Weasley, her cousin, best friend and the youngest child of Hermione and Ron, and Guardian October Longbottom, eldest son of Luna and Neville both Hufflepuffs.

They were to be married in less than a week and the two were very excited about the prospect. They would both be residing in Hogwarts as Hugo was to be the apprentice to Slughorn for potions. And then when Lily and Guardian reached the six month mark in their marriage Harry would depart this world and go to the next. Finally he would be with the family that he had been denied and go to the man that he secretly been harboring feelings for since the day he had found out the truth about Dumbledore, Draco, and Severus Snape.

The only thing Harry felt sad about was the fact that he would be leaving his children behind but he knew that it was time. No longer was he happy with Ginny, normalcy or living and the one thing his battle weary soul now hungered for, was rest and Severus Snape.


End file.
